Grass Snake
wildlife potential of course redevelopments or the construction of new courses.
Decline of herptiles
The UK has long been a stronghold for great crested newt, which has suffered severe declines across continental Europe, where pond destruction, either through neglect or for development, has resulted in a severe decrease in available breeding habitat, and the fragmentation of suitable terrestrial habitats has made it harder for newts to move to another, suitable pond. However, these declines are now being mirrored in the UK, where lowering of ground water levels for development, destruction of hedgerows and increased pollution are resulting in declines in this species. In order to attempt to halt the decline of this species, great crested newts are now protected under UK and European legislation. In practice, this means: destruction of habitats, killing, injuring, disturbing, taking or offering for sale, all of which can result in hefty fines and/or imprisonment! This means that a licence is required in order to survey for this species.
The four widespread reptile species in the UK; adder, grass snake, common lizard and slow worm, are currently relatively common, if often undetected. However, it is widely considered that these species are suffering declines across the country, due to loss of habitat or fragmentation of areas of suitable habitat. All UK reptiles are now protected from killing, injuring and sale, in an effort to halt the declines in their populations.
Herptiles on golf courses Golf courses provide an ideal
Male Adders
opportunity to create ‘safe havens’ for these declining species, with only simple changes to the habitats and the management that is already in place. In fact, several golf courses around the UK are known to have populations of great crested newts and good reptile populations already present, and may have done so for several years, without any impacts on the running of the course and the enjoyment of its use. Several simple steps can be taken to encourage these species to colonise golf courses:
• Ponds - great crested newts prefer to live in medium sized ponds that are well vegetated, but also have areas of open water, as these are used by the males for their elaborate courtship displays. It is also ponds like this that look the most visually appealing and, therefore, would fit in well on a golf course. Newts like to live in places where there are several medium sized ponds in close proximity to one another, and this can easily be considered in the design or redevelopment of courses.
• Fish - fish will eat great crested newt larvae and so, if possible, ponds on golf courses should not be stocked with fish. Frogs and toads should, however, be encouraged as they provide a great food supply for reptiles.
• Habitat - as mentioned above, all herptiles like areas of rough grassland, scrub and woodland, all of which are usually readily present on golf courses. These habitats will require no additional maintenance to ensure that they provide perfect conditions for newts.
• Connectivity - if possible, habitat corridors; lines of habitat connecting
other habitat features, such as a strip of rough grassland between two ponds (for example, along the edge of a fairway) or a hedgerow between two patches of woodland, should be incorporated into the course design to allow herptiles to move freely between all the ideal habitats that are present. It is no use creating a lovely, fish free pond, ideal for breeding newts and foraging reptiles, if the animals have to cross the shortly mown green, where they are at risk of aerial predation, to get to it! The connectivity does not need to encircle the pond, a strip of rough along the rear of the green, connecting to one side of a pond and along the side of the fairway, would provide an excellent habitat connection.
Prior to any alterations to golf courses,
the presence of herptiles should be confirmed (or otherwise) by an appropriately licensed ecologist, who can offer advice to ensure that the works will not result in breaking the law and causing harm to these species. For those simply enjoying the golf, without being actively involved in the management of the course, the presence of herptiles will rarely be detected, unless you are playing particularly late into a damp dusk or early on a damp morning. However, by regularly using golf courses that actively seek to encourage protected species, golfers are contributing to the maintenance of these vital spaces and, hopefully, ensuring the survival of this, and other, increasingly rare species in the UK.
With thanks to Sarah Hallen at Peak Ecology Ltd. Email:
sarahallen@peakecology.co.uk Website:
www.peakecology.co.uk
Slow worm 30
Great Crested Newt
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